To Survive
Prologue Why? Why is there war among our rogue? What started it? Most of my family and friend have already been killed, other left in fear. Now, it's just me... it's just me, and Blizzard. I'll protect you, Blizzard. I'll protect you, my sister. Chapter 1 Swift-foot raised his head as dawn light flooded into him and his sisters make-shift den. He yawned, and got up. He looked down on the giant, white fluffy form of his sister, peacefully asleep. He jumped up from the den, lean and quick build of his body not giving a problem. He looked around in the thin forests he and his sister had decided to spend the night in. Swift-foot opened his jaws, taking in the air. Blizzard would need to eat. He took in the scent of squirrel, he walked slowly around, keeping his eye out for the squirrel, watching his step. He caught the sight of the brown fur of the squirrel, he crouched low beneath the under-growth, eyes narrowed into tiny slits. He slowly put one paw in front of the other, stopping every few seconds as the squirrel looked up. Finally, in a flash of white fur. He darted at the squirrel, it screeched into surprise as he landed on it, this screech was cut off with a killing bite to the neck. Swift-foot picked up the squirrel in his jaws, and headed back for the den. If Blizzard woke up and he was gone, she'd surely panick. Their parents had been killed in front of him and Blizzard by a rogue tom named Carp. Blizzard had been traumatized by it. She began to grow a fear of the world around her. Thus, Swift-foot had taken it upon himself to care for her, and protect her. As he entered their make-shift den, Blizzard was starting to yawn. She sat up and looked at Swift-foot. "Morning Snow." His sister purred to him, he smiled through the squirrel he was holding, and dropped it at his sisters paws. He then let out a small chuckle, sitting down in front of her as she began to eat her squirrel. "You know, your the only one who calls me Snow now. Every other cat we met has started to call me Swift-foot." Blizzard looked up from her squirrel, chewing then swallowing the chunk she had bitten off of it. "Well, yeah. Your skinny and fast, your really good at hunting. Your also clever." Swift-foot let out a small laugh, his sister loved seeing the bright side of him. He just loved to see his dear litter-mate happy. He looked outside to the rising sun. They would have to leave soon. "I suggest you finish up. We shouldn't stay here to long." Blizzard let out a whine, she flattened her ears in a playful manner. "You just have to be so stubborn, and bossy!" Swift-foot licked his one black paws and drew it over his ear, Blizzard pointed this out every time he suggests they get a move on. He just didn't want anything to find their den. Like a dog! He couldn't take on a dog! What if Blizzard tried to challenge it! It could kill her! As Blizzard continued eating, He began to worry about all the things that could happen if they stayed here. What if another cat comes along? It could kill us! What if it's a fox! Blizzard would be to terrified to fight...It could get to her before I do! It would kill her before any cat could say 'mouse'! And if a badger comes! What about a Two-leg?! What if a tree falls on the den one day and can't get her out?! What if I end up dying? She'd have no-one to look after her! What if- what if the den catches fire? What if a snake finds it's way in?! What if-'' "Snow!" His sisters ''worried voice pulled him out of his thoughts, Swift-foot franticly looked around in terror. "Whats wrong?! A fox? A snake?! What happened?" He saw Blizzard looking confused, sitting in front of the bones of a squirrel. Swift-foot sighed, and then relaxed. Blizzard rolled her bright blue eyes. She flicked her fluffy tail. "Your always like this when I have to pull you out of your thoughts!" His ears flattened as he had to listen to Blizzards complaints. He suddenly flicked his skinny tail- unlike his sisters large fluffy one. He sighed, and looked up at his rambling sister. she wished life was easy and perfect. But they both knew life was hard. Full of dangerous threats. "Come on, it's time to go, Blizzard." Chapter 2 Torrent let out a hiss at the cat in front of him, he stood in front of his injured friend. Blocking to other rogue from harming him anymore. His brown and grey fur bristled, amber eyes narrowed into small slits, his claws were unseathed and his teeth were bared. Torrent threw himself at the already slightly injured tom. The tom batted him away, Torrent was instantly on his paws again in alarm. The tom was heading for his friend. Torrent darted forward and leapt up the toms back, digging his claws into the toms dark grey tabby fur. "Leave him alone, Wind!" Wind jerked around wildly, trying to throw Torrent off. Torrent sank his teeth into Winds scruff. Wind tried to roll over and crush him with his large form, Torrent leapt off at the last second. Wind was starting to get frustrated. Wind launched himself at Torrent, he panicked. Torrent darted under him and dug his claws into Winds flanks. Wind yowled and tore himself away from Torrent. Wind whipped around to face Torrent. He slashed Torrents eye. Torrent stumbled back in shock, he couldn't see out of his left eye. It clouded over and he yowled in alarm. Another cat shot out of the bushes and jumped onto Winds back. Torrent didn't know who this cat was, but against Wind, he'd take any help. He leapt at Wind as the tom tried to throw this new mystery cat off of him. He quickly slashed winds muzzle, Wind yowled and shook this new cat off of him. He let out a furious hiss. "I'll be back! Torrent! Burr!" He whipped around and ran, kicking soil onto him and this mystery cat. He sighed in relief and sat down, looking over at this newer cat. His eyes widened at what he saw, it was a golden tabby sleek-furred she-cat with dark green eyes, he dipped his head, not knowing what to say. "I...errmm...Thank you for your...help." The she-cat nodded. She flicked her tail over to the bleeding lump of brown fur. /torrents eyes widened, he forgot about Burr! He darted over to his friend. "Burr? Burr please get up!" Burr groaned from the pain of his wounds. Torrent started to lick his friends wounds to try and stop the bleeding. He felt a presence beside him, it was the she-cat! He gulped, ears flattened with terror for his friend. "Can you help him?" The she-cat nodded, and darted off. Torrent tilted his head, if she said yes why did she just run off like that? He saw her again after what seemed to be lifetimes, she was carrying different plants and even spider webs in her mouth. She set them down and began chewing a leaf, letting the juice trickle onto the spider web. She then grabbed it and pressed it to Burrs wounds. The brown tom flinched from the feeling. As the golden tabby she-cat continued this. The wounds started to stop bleeding, she started mixing other plants in, making Burr seem to relax. Once she was done, she grabbed water soaked moss and trickled it into his mouth. Burr would be okay now... Torrent dipped his head in thanks to her. "Whats your name?" He wrapped his tail around his paws, staring at the she-cat. He was happy that Burr would be alright, Burr had saved him from the river that drowned his brother. He had been stuck in grief for days after that. Burr didn't mind: Burr hunted for him and comforted him until he was willing to get up and travel once again. Wind had knocked his brother into the river that day, Wind was a terrible cat, who thought he ruled the world. The she-cat spoke on a gentle, soft yet ever so slightly high pitched voice. "My name is Joy. My parents named me that because I was the only kit who wasn't snatched from them at birth. As I grew, mother explained it was tradition to our bloodline all she-cats know healing herbs, so she taught me what I know now. I know the struggles of having Wind around, i'm just glad your alright. Let me see what I can do with your eye." Torrent nodded, and let Joy come near him with what she had left with her healing items. Joy seemed to numb his eye so she could treat it, she put a strange herb on it that soothed it. She put cobweb around the bleeding part. She finally sighed and went on to his other wounds. "I'm afraid he's half-blinded you for good. There's nothing I can do." Torrent raised his head to look at Joy. "Thank you." Chapter 3 Wind pushed his way through the bushes with a scrawny mouse. His wounds stung and he had trouble hunting, if only Burr and Torrent hadn't taken that rabbit! He sighed as he went into the den, his mate and kits were there, waiting. He sighed, and set the mouse down. "I'm sorry, this was all I could get. Torrent and Burr snatched the rest." His mate sighed, and pushed the mouse to their kits. "Eat what you can, Stripe, Moth, Cloud, Branch..." Wind watched as his mate flicked her tail to him and then outside, he nodded as the two went outside to talk. "Why is it you can't provide enough food to feed your kits and mate! Here we are! Half-starved, fur clinging to our ribs! Your rivalry with Torrent is getting in way of your family!" He flinched at her hissing tone, the white and ginger she-cat in front of me had bristling fur and a lashing tail. He sighed. "Look, Plum, I-" Plums hiss cut him off, he flinched. "I'm tired of your excuses, Wind! I don't want to love a tom who cant provide! Maybe it would be better if we took two kits for ourselves, and then start seeing other rogue." Wind flattened his ears even more at the thought. He wouldn't see Plum anymore, the family would be split apart completely... It would be easier to feed them though... ''Wind sighed, then finally nodded, the two went into the den where the kits had been long done with the mouse. Plum sat down and called for the kits to come over. She smiled at her kits. "kits, me and your father have decided we will split up to survive. I will take two of you, and Wind will take two of you." Plum flicked her tail. "Stripe and Moth come with me." She picked the two up by the scruff, she didn't even say goodbye to Wind, she left the den. Leaving behind Wind, Cloud, and Branch... Branch looked up at his father with wide eyes. Wind sighed, if only he hadn't stopped to fight Torrent. Then he would still have his whole family. ''Then we wouldn't be starving... Chapter 4 Swift-foot kept high alert of any sounds or movements as him and Blizzard trotted side by side. It had been two days without a suitable den. Thus, not giving time to hunt. Blizzard stumbled, Swift-foot darted to catch her. He slowly lifted her back to her paws. "Come on, we have to keep going." Blizzard let out a whine in response, but got up anyways. She was losing strength, and fast. He needed to hunt for her! ''But I can't! She'll get worried! She'll wonder where I am! She'll run off looking for me! What if that happened?! What if I never found her again!? ''He suddenly bared his teeth in anger and frustration. If Carp hadn't killed their parents, maybe it wouldn't be this way! Maybe he could be traveling with his mother father and sister. He could hunt for them, and then everything would be fine! Blizzard collasped again, weak. She was in a dire need food. He carefully layed her down, this was a risk he'd need to take! He leaned down to Blizzards ear. "I'll be back soon..." He darted off without waiting for an answer, he opened his jaws. Nothing but rabbit. It would have to do for now! He looked around wildly, finally. He saw the brown form off the rabbit, Swift-foot took off after it without stopping to think, chasing it left and right. Swift-foot, living up to his given name, starting gaining on the rabbit. Finally, he leapt forward, sinking his claws into the rabbits shoulder and snapping it's neck. He heard a terrified whimper in front of him. Swift-foot looked up to see a kit, staring at him with wide eyes of terror. His gaze softened at the small grey lump of fur, he smiled a tore the leg off of the rabbit for the starving kit. "Didn't mean to scare ya kit, I was just trying to snag a rabbit for my sister." the young tom kit snagged the rabbit leg and darted off. Swift-foot tilted his head in confusion, maybe the kit was feeding off of the scraps older cats left behind? He shrugged it off, and took the rabbit in his jaws. Swift-foot darted off to where his sister was, he paws barely skid the ground across the moor. He jumped over stones and stray twigs, kicking up soil behind him. He finally burst through the undergrowth where he had left Blizzard. Blizzard was staring with wide eyes across the stream, Swift-foot prodded his sister with his paw.